Sharing Tongues
by OoIcePheonixoO
Summary: A new member. A new rival. Dragon secrets unveiled and a deadly sickness that will shake the whole of Fairy Tail to its core. Natsu x Lucy, OC, Gajeel x Levy if you squint. Rated M for adult themes, violence, gore, and adult language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

 **Ok, so this is my first fanfic on anything...ever**

 **I actually got this idea when I was scratching my dog the other day and I decided to put it on paper. Well that was the original idea and its kind of morphed into what it is now.**

 **This is the first chapter of a planned many, I already have an idea of where I want the second chapter to go.**

 **This story takes place in around the time after the Edolas arc, except for the fact that I've added a character of my own plus included the characters that weren't originally there i.e. Laxus and the Thunder Legion. Yes, it is rated M. It just makes it much easier to write about anything and not get punished for it. ;)**

 **So I guess that's all you need to know..**

 **Enjoy!**

 **OH WAIT... Almost forgot**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or have any rights to the characters, even though I wish I did sometimes...**

 **I DO HOWEVER OWN ANAYA- aka no stealing**

 **Now without further ado, you may enjoy the wonder that is my attempt at writing C:**

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 **WOW its been a long time. Alright so this is an updated chapter. I reread the old one and decided it need some changes.**

 **I'd like to thank _dreamsandfaith_ and _KawaiiPotatoPoop_ for reviewing the original chapter. It really helps to hear from you all.**

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Chapter 1- The Girl in the Hood

 _Watching her eyes, it gave off the impression that she was hollow. Almost like the lights were on but no one was at the wheel. Almost like she was dead._

* * *

The guild was oddly quiet at this time of day. Usually they would be throwing tables, picking fights and laughing their asses off. In the famous Fairy Tail style of course. But at precisely 10:00 am there was not a peep from the boisterous guild hall that rested in the center of Magnolia Square.

This is what Lucy Heartfilia, a celestial spirit mage in Fairy Tail, thought as she walked down the cobblestones through town. The girl had decided that a little shopping was in order. She had wanted to have a little personal day for a while now, and with their new reward money she could do just that. She also needed more food for dinner tonight knowing that a certain pink haired mage would be coming along. Their last mission was a success thanks to the blonde mage's outstandingly clever threats to her two overly energetic companions. They had actually managed to only lose 20,000 J out of their 150,000 J reward, due to a certain someone deciding to burn a hole in their client's roof.

Lucy sighed at the memory and ran a hand through her long blonde hair. Their client had been hearing some awful noises in their basement and had asked them to check it out. For the reward money the job seemed too easy.

Turns out, a bandit had been using the client's basement, along with about a dozen others, to sneak around town without being seen. They had gone after all kinds of shops in their rampage, looting, brandishing and terrorizing any and all they came across. A certain dragon slayer was not excused from their childish minds. After a stinging remark to said fire breather's hair, the bandits were sent in a burning fireball straight up through the roof. Lucy had threatened to punish the boy severely after the incident, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Even with his reckless attitude he still managed to get the job done.

So now here she was, bags of meats, fruits, and vegetables filled her arms as she made her way back home. Maybe later she'd do some shopping for herself with the extra cash she had after paying her rent.

The blonde stopped within a few blocks of her home. She stood in front of a bright store window her eyes wide with wonder. Inside the display case stood a small blue dress. The top was a soft black that ruffled and dipped downwards, accentuating the chest area. The bottom of the dress was made up of a very fine blue fabric. It flowed out from the black top and was layered just enough that it wasn't see through, but didn't look heavy. The dress was strapless and as a finishing touch black lace covered the upper part of the dress just under the chest area. It was beautiful and cute at the same time. She had to have it.

Clutching her bags to her chest, Lucy dashed into the store and ran right up to the cashier. "How much is that dress?!" She practically yelled at the small woman behind the counter, pointing to the display case. The woman took several seconds to reply at the blonde's slight overreaction.

Maybe those two were wearing off on her, she thought with a silent laugh.

The dress turned out to be 60,000 J. That was just under what she had left from the last mission and was planning to save it for next month's rent. She really needed to save up so she could just do little jobs around on her own. That way she could gain some more experience.

Oh, screw rent. If she needed to she could always just go on another mission with Natsu. It would give her the same end result anyways.

She happily handed over the money and picked up her bags, heading down the last few blocks toward her small apartment. She could put everything away, maybe have a little time for a bit of writing, then head over to the guild.

She smiled to herself as she unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. She took off her shoes and looked around her living room, searching for a sign of pink hair or charred furniture. Spotting nothing out of the ordinary, she made her way into the kitchen and placed her bags on the table. She needed to put everything away before it went bad, or before someone came and ate it all.

She placed the last of her items into the cupboard then skipped back over to her table and grabbed the remaining pink bag. She could try it on now to see how it looks before getting on with her day. With that thought in mind, she clutched the bag in her hand and dashed out into her living room. She had a mirror near her closet so she should probably try in on there, then she could just put it away afterwords. But she never made it that far.

"YO LUCE!"

The blonde stopped mid-step at the sight of her pink-haired teammate. Just one day. Why couldn't she have just one day where no one barged into her place at every hour.

"NATSU! This is my house! Go home!" Lucy fumed at the dragon slayer. He always had a way to push her buttons at the weirdest times. She folded her arms underneath her chest and sent a glare the boy's way, the frilly pick bag still clutched in her hand. Maybe she should just throw something at him. Maybe something heavy.

"Aw, come on Luce! No need to get all mad. I was just coming to get'cha cause you were late to the guild. That's all!" Natsu sat down on the girl's bed, crossing his legs underneath him. He always made himself very comfortable here even though this was still _her house._

Lucy swore she could feel a vein pop in her forehead, "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I wanted to sleep in today? I mean we just got back from a mission and I wanted a bit of time to myself for once."

Natsu seemed unfazed by her words, if he was even listening at all. "What do ya mean? You always have time to yourself at the guild. And besides, the old man has some news today!"

Lucy was about to try to explain to the dragon slayer that listening to screaming, laughing, and dodging flying objects that was typically normal for the people she called friends, wasn't exactly having time to yourself. But she stopped herself hearing his last statement, "News? What news does the master have? Is it something important?"

Natsu shook his head, "I don't know. He said he wouldn't tell us until everyone was at the guild. So I came here! Levy and Lily went to go get Lug Nuts, and Gray and Erza offered to gather the rest. You guys were the only ones we were missin'."

Lucy guessed it must be important if the master wanted everyone there. She looked down at the bag in her hands and let out a sigh, guess she'd have to try it on later. "Alright Natsu, I'm coming. Just give me a sec."

Natsu let out a grumble and flopped down onto her fluffy cushions. He could be so impatient sometimes, she mused.

She placed the little bag on the ground as she reached her closet and pulled open the doors, the already overpacked wardrobe starring her back in the face. It'd be difficult to find a place where the dress wouldn't get wrinkled. _That's it. I'm cleaning out my closet once I get back._

Lucy muttered to herself as she rifled through the shirts, pants and dresses, pushing those she didn't use that often aside. Feeling confident that she had a big enough space, she turned back towards the little pink bag and pulled out her prize. It would be hard to say that Lucy didn't notice the boy's eyes watching her as she worked. The way his eyes widened at the sight of the little garment and the faint blush that worked up his cheeks. His reaction to her holding a piece of clothing both confused her to no end, and made her heart flutter in her chest in a way she hadn't felt before.

 _Why I am reacting like this?_ She shook her head as she placed the dress over one of the hangers. Better question was, why was HE reacting like this? It was just a dress. Albeit a very skimpy and revealing dress, but that never seemed to trigger this reaction in him before. She let out a breath and willed herself to calm down. It wasn't the time for these type of thoughts, the guild was waiting for them.

She grabbed her jacket and her keys, closing the closet door and turning back to the dragon slayer who was currently awkwardly playing with one of her pillows. "Okay, Natsu, I'm ready."

The fire breather jumped up from his position on her bed, "Alright! Wait 'till I tell ice pick! He bet I couldn't get you back to the guild faster than he and Erza!" He looked relieved as pumped his fists in victory. She couldn't help but wonder what was going though his mind. That thought quickly vanished as he pried her window open and leapt out into the early afternoon air.

"WHY CAN'T YOU AT LEAST USE THE DOOR?"

* * *

Lucy and Natsu entered the guild hall with the famous Salamander flair. She couldn't help but cringe inwardly as the tables nearest turned to glare at them. Other than that her guild mates seemed lost in their own conversations. Lucy couldn't help the feeling that they were as curious about what the master had to say as she was.

Natsu lead Lucy over to a table close to the bar with Levy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, and surprisingly Gajeel and Lily. Lucy took a seat next to her blue haired friend, whose nose was already stuck in a book. Gajeel and Lily sat on the bluenette's other side. Natsu took a seat across from her next to Wendy and started talking with Happy.

A quiet hum had settled over the guild hall. It was rather odd to see everyone so quiet and controlled. She decided they looked much better yelling and laughing and throwing things.

Gray and Erza came in not long after them and quietly sat down, Erza on Lucy's other side and Gray across from Gajeel. No one spoke other than the hushed noise that seemed to penetrate Lucy to the very core.

"Do you guys know what this is about?" She asked the table quietly hoping to at least break into the silence.

Before any of them could answer a voice called to them from the balcony above. "If I could have your attention my children."

Lucy turned in her seat to find the master perched on the railing of the second floor. A person stood next to him. They wore a black hood that covered most of their face and black sleeves that ran the majority of their arms. It looked to be a girl, probably not much older than herself and Natsu. She wore a ripped up shirt that came up short exposing most of her belly and baggy pants that hung low on her hips. She had a small brown bag attached to her belt that probably could only hold a couple of Lucy's keys at most.

The master continued after everyone had quieted down, "This may seem very strange to all of you. I have asked you to come here under the notion that I have news." He paused, waiting for the slight murmuring that had broken out to quiet down.

He gestured to the girl standing beside him, "This is Anaya Divine. I met her outside of town a few days ago. She will be our newest member so treat her well." The master turned back towards the girl and gestured for her to come forward.

The girl, or Anaya now, reached up to her hood and slowly pulled it down. The first thing Lucy noticed was her hair. It was a deep shade of orange, almost a mix of Erza and Loke and ended just below her shoulders. She wore a band across her head that covered her left eye and part of her hair covered that side of her face. Her other eye was a bright blue mixed with what looked like something else at the center but Lucy couldn't really tell from the distance.

Anaya smiled and made a fist with one hand, gently placing it into the palm of her other. She bent her head slightly in a bow before she straightened and looked back out towards the guild. Lucy thought she had spotted the flash of something on her back but decided to take no notice of it.

Lowering her hands, she spoke, "It is very nice to meet you all. I wish to help as much as I can." Her voice was strong and steady as she addressed the people below her. Much like Erza's, but Lucy felt that it had a more calming effect than the red head's.

Murmuring broke out among the mages. Confusion and question laced in their voices as they spoke. This was what the master wanted to tell them?

Ezra was the first one to stand and face the new comer. "Welcome to Fairy Tail!" She cheered

With the approval from the fierce warrior, the guild erupted into cries of welcome for the new member. Lucy cheered right along with the rest of her guild. The ominous feeling of the guilds hesitance at accepting the girl pricked the back of her mind.

Natsu and Gray, finally being released from their bond of solitude, immediately started a yelling match of who could cheer the loudest. Not wanting to be caught in the middle of yet another all-out brawl, she excused herself from the table and made her way to her usual spot at the bar.

Mira stood behind the wooden counter, polishing glasses with a white, worn-out rag. She looked up as Lucy approached and gave her a gentle smile. Lucy always had admired the older mage for her looks and constant fame in Sorcerer Magazine. But she now always seemed to think of the way that the girl was like a mother to everyone in the guild, be it old or young. She could fix almost any problem with her bright smile and soft words. Lucy hoped she could be like that one day, if not at least a little like that.

"Hello Lucy, can I get you anything?" The white haired barmaid asked, coming over to stand in front of her most prominent customer, smiling cheerfully.

Lucy offered a smile in return and took a seat on one of the stools, propping her elbows up on the counter. "Just the usual please, Mira."

Mira disappeared for a minute then returned with a glass. The glass was filled with a peach colored liquid with a tiny umbrella and a straw sticking out on the top. She set the glass down in front of Lucy then continued her earlier chores.

Lucy sipped at her drink happily, seeing as it was her favorite. It was much like a smoothie except only a little ice instead of ice cream. It reminded her of the peach ice cream she used to make with the servants back at home, but with a little bit of tang from the alcohol.

"What do you think of the new member?" Lucy looked up at the barmaids sudden question.

"I'm not quite sure." She replied after a few seconds. "She seems very nice but I'm not quite sure why she wears the hood. To be honest it worries me a little bit."

Mira put down her glass to stare at her blonde haired friend, "How so?"

"I was actually wondering about that as well."

Lucy turned to the new voice to find Erza had taken a seat next to her. Erza usually had her knowledge of this kind of thing, especially when it came to new members. She was known to have her guard up until she got to know the person, but then again she always had her guard up in Lucy's opinion. The red head was looking at her expectantly so Lucy decided to voice her worries.

"Well, maybe there are people after her, so she has to hide her face from view. Or maybe she's some sort of assassin that works for the magic counsel, or maybe…" Lucy couldn't seem to stop her mouth from moving. She named reason after reason growing more elaborate with each one. The other two listened on with amused interest at the blonde's rant but neither bothered to stop her.

Erza finally decided to cut in after what seemed like the 50th tale Lucy had come up with. "I do agree that the hood has some worries with it, but she probably doesn't wear it for any of those reasons." The red head stated with a slight laugh.

Lucy huffed at her teammate's quite blatant objection to her creativity, "You never know. I could be right on this one." A quiet laugh behind the blonde made all three women turn around.

Standing a few feet away from them was Anaya, a very amused expression stretched across her face. "You know, if you were that curious you could've just asked." She stated walking over to a stool next to Lucy and taking a seat.

Now that Lucy could see her close up she could make out a few defined features. She had a small face and a somewhat rounded jaw that made her look younger than she was. Her eyes, or the one eye that wasn't covered, was a deep blue that changed to grey at the center. She was built much like a man in Lucy's opinion with some feminine features. She was very tall, probably a little taller than Evergreen and had broad shoulders like Natsu or Grey. Her chest was fairly moderate, probably right in between Levy and herself. She had only slight curves that pronounced her hips and waist line. Lucy noted she was actually very pretty. But the two things that stood out about the girl were the silver hand she sported under her sleeve on her left arm, and the long scar that ran up the inside of her torso. Also on her left side.

Lucy also noticed she had two swords attached to her back, one of them had a deep red handle. She wasn't quite sure what they were for but figured she wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of either of them.

While Lucy was lost in her inspection of the new girl, Erza asked her what they had all been wondering "So, why is it you wear that hood?"

Anaya spun on her stool so that she was facing the three of them. "You actually guessed part of it," she began. "I used to be a… I figure you could call it an 'assassin', for my old village." She used her figures to emphasize the word _assassin_. "We were always being attacked from outsiders for our herbs that we grew in the center of the village. So the elders decided to send out hunters to hide in the trees during the night, in case anyone came by. We were usually meant to just scare the intruders off, but sometimes they were killed on accident."

Ezra narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean they were 'killed on accident'?"

Anaya paused to pull out what looked like a sharp rock from her pocket. She held it up so the rest of them could see. Lucy held out her hand asking if she could hold it. The girl obliged and placed it in her palm.

The rock was very small and could fit easily in the center of her palm. Lucy twisted the rock in her hands and noticed that it was also very thin. A shape like this would definitely make it pretty easy to throw.

"We used those as a type of replacement for throwing knives, and we would throw them out into the trees. We usually tried to hit a trunk or a few branches to give the impression that they were being watched. But we never were very good with them and more would hit the intruders than we would like. So yes, they were killed on accident" Lucy held out the small stone. Anaya took it and placed it into a pocket attacked to her pants.

"You haven't said anything about the hoods yet," Happy piped in. Lucy looked over at the small feline, she hadn't noticed him come over. He must've been sitting there for a while to know what they were talking about.

"Don't be rude!" Lucy snipped at the blue fur ball. Him and Natsu seemed more and more alike each time she talked to them.

"It's alright Lucy, I was getting to that." Anaya gave her a reassuring smile and flicked her gaze over at Happy. "So, we weren't very good at hiding, or at least pretended we weren't. That meant when intruders came by most of us were seen right off the bat. It made it easier to scare them off and away from the village, but then we had the problem of them remembering our faces. So the people that had to go out at night started using hoods."

She smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head with a hand, "I guess I'm just so used to having to use it that I don't really think about taking it off."

Lucy smiled at the girl's story and watched her talk with the other two girls. She most definitely wasn't going to be a threat. There wasn't any aura about her that would tell them she had other motives with telling them her stories. Lucy got the feeling that she could be trusted, but maybe not just yet.

"Anaya, I was wondering about something." Lucy spoke up to the new girl with a different question in mind.

The girl turned around towards Lucy and tilted her head slightly, "What's on your mind? And please call me Aya, Anaya sounds way to formal." She smiled at the end of her sentence showing most of her teeth.

Lucy got the sudden feeling that Anaya seemed a lot like Natsu. Or maybe it was just the grin. She shook her head to clear the thought and turned back to her, "How did you know what we were talking about just now?"

"Oh that! I almost forgot." Aya exclaimed chuckling to herself, "Makarov sent me over to get my guild mark and I caught the end of your conversation. I guess I got a little side tracked. That happens a lot." She turned towards Mira who already had the guild stamp in hand.

"Where would you like it?" The white haired barmaid asked, setting down the stamp on the counter in front of her.

Aya thought for a minute then pulled down her shirt, exposing the right side of her neck and the top of her collar bone, "How about here?"

Mira leaned forward and placed the stamp on the indicated location, "Any color preference?"

"Silver please"

After a couple seconds and a soft _pop_ , Mira removed the stamp and placed it back under the counter. Where the marker used to be, was now a silver logo of Fairy Tail that covered her right collar bone and part of the skin below and above.

Erza gave the girl her congratulations and Lucy cheered quietly, declaring Aya an official member of Fairy Tail. They now had a new companion to share secrets, missions and laughter with. Lucy smiled and turned back to her drink, it turned out to be a pretty good day.

As she sipped she noticed that Happy was still sitting next to her on the counter. The little feline seemed shaken about something. His fur stood on end and his eyes were wide little orbs. To Lucy, it looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Hey Happy, are you alright?" She asked quietly hoping not to disturb the other's conversation.

The little blue feline started slightly, whipping his head around to stare at her. He blinked a few times and shook his head. "She scares me Lushie."

Lucy blinked in shock, "She scares you? How?" She couldn't see how the new member could be scary. Especially to the extent that he seemed to be.

Happy hopped down from the counter and landed in Lucy's lap. He curled his paws against his chest and pressed himself into her stomach. "In her eyes. They looked… they looked like nothing." He took a pause, like he was trying to think of the right words, "…Like there was nothing inside."

Lucy felt an uneasiness overtake her at the statement. _"Like nothing"?_ She had never heard of someone looking like that, nor seen anyone that looked the part. Deciding to take a chance she quickly glanced over at Aya. And indeed what she saw made her entire body stiffen. Watching her eyes, it gave off the impression that she was hollow. Almost like the lights were on but no one was at the wheel. Almost like she was dead.

She plastered on a smile and reassured him that there really wouldn't be anything to worry about, telling him to go see if he could find Natsu and Wendy. The prospect of not seeing the two dragons, but the other exceed made his spirits brighten. He quickly said his goodbyes and flew off. Leaving Lucy to mull over what she had just witnessed. The feeling of despair that crawled along her skin just wouldn't go away. The look in her eyes felt so familiar. Lucy covered her mouth with her hand feeling bile build up in her throat. She had to stop thinking about this.

Just then a large hand plopped down on her shoulder, causing her to whip around. The toothy smile and messy mop of salmon hair that greeted her soon morphed into something else.

"Luce? You okay?"

Lucy shook her head, quickly trying to clear her thoughts. She looked up into his face and felt her body loosen. The unpleasant feelings that had build up unraveling themselves until she felt she was back in control.

She nodded and smiled softly at the dragon slayer, "Yea Natsu, I'm fine. I'm gonna go find Levy."

She said her goodbyes to the other girls and quickly hopped off the stool. Just walking away from the bar made her feel like a weight was being lifted off her chest. She spotted the script mage almost immediately and bounded over, ready to begin another whole afternoon of yelling and drinking.

For the rest of Fairy Tail, they continued on their merriment. Singing, shouting, fighting and partying the day away. All unaware what they had just gotten themselves into.


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy cow!**

 **Ok! Hello all! I'm back!**

 **Updating took WAY longer than I had originally planned. I guess I just had no time this week with sports and school. And then I decided to get sick for a few days. So, you could say this is the first time back on my computer in 2 weeks :/**

 **I may be back tomorrow to change up the chapter again but we'll see.**

 **Again I don't own F** **airy Tail or any of its characters, even though I wish I did. Those both belong to Hiro Mashima.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy the second chapter of Sharing Tongues!**

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 **So, yes I did have to go back and change this up a bit. Please review, I love hearing from you guys and it makes my day.**

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Chapter 2 - The Fun of Battle

 _Shouts of the seated guild members rang out in their surprise. Most of them had gotten out of the way, but the ones who had failed to notice the earlier signs were now haphazardly scattered around their seating area._

* * *

Lucy sat at her usual spot at the bar, a glass of orange juice in her hand. It'd been a few weeks since Aya had joined the guild and surprisingly, she was fitting in just like the rest of them. Joining in full force with whatever antics the guild was up to.

She had noticed Aya was very loud, the girl more than once had gotten the attention of the room to announce new challenges and missions for the master when he was feeling lazy. Not that she was surprised the master just wanted to drink, his children we're exactly the easiest bunch to handle. Of course, she only had the opportunity when the Titania wasn't there.

Aya had decided to not reveal her magic to anyone in the guild, to which Lucy found very odd. Over the past few weeks Aya had not used her magic once, even when she was trying to get out of some kind of scuffle. She always resorted to talking, running or pinning the blame on someone else. Which mostly ended in an all out guild brawl.

Lucy had also noticed that she never touched the swords on her back either. At first, she had gotten the sense that by the way she looked, Aya had trained for years in the art of combat. But as she watched her from either her place at the bar, or with Natsu and Happy, it looked as if she never fought a battle in her life.

From what Lucy saw on the first day Aya had joined the guild, she had tried to keep her distance from the new member. The overwhelming sense of dread and fear would constrict in her chest whenever she thought about it. But as she watched her, and eventually tried talking to her, she noticed that even though Aya might have seemed a bit off kilter she was very kind. Lucy still had a problem looking her in the eyes though. She just couldn't figure out why they looked so empty.

Lucy fiddled with the straw in her glass and happily tapped her fingers against the wood of the counter.

Aya had actually tried multiple times to gain her trust and make her feel more comfortable around her. None of which had much effect. In actuality they had the opposite effect. At one point, Lucy had gone to the lengths of avoiding the girl completely. Sometimes to the extent that her guild mates started to notice.

That was when Aya had gotten desperate. So with nothing else she could do, and nothing else she could really lose, she decided to play a little prank on the celestial mage.

* * *

Lucy had come home from a short mission with Team Shadow Gear. Natsu and Happy had been busy fishing that day and she needed the money. So, Levy had let her tag along. When she entered her house nothing seemed at all out of place. The lights were off, no one was in the kitchen, and her book was still on the table. Everything was how she left it. Other than the presence of a certain dragon slayer and flying companion, everything was in it's place.

At first she thought it odd that Natsu and Happy weren't sitting on her bed, or raiding her pantry, waiting for her to come home. They usually were here whether she liked it or not. Her mind got the better of her though, telling het to enjoy the piece and quiet while she had it. So she did. And that's when she noticed it.

One of the doors to her closet was wide open, and there were no clothes in it.

She had booked it over to the space and practically ripped the other door open. All of her clothes, every single article, gone. The first thought that ran through her mind, she had been robbed! But that didn't last very long. If she had been robbed why would the robbers only take her clothes and nothing else. She had to admit she definitely had other more valuable things around the apartment.

After pacing in front of her closet for a few minutes, she decided to look around and try to find some sort of clue. Not even the best robber could leave without a trace. Especially in this town.

She scoured the space from top to bottom. After around thirty minutes had passed, she had turned up with nothing.

Feeling dejected and now knowing she'd have to spent the money she just earned for her rent on new clothes, she headed to her shower. She had been exhausted from her mission earlier and now with this new development, she felt as if she'd been hit by a truck. A bath usually helped her calm down and loosen the tension in her body. The warm water and quiet space always helped her to clear her head.

She had entered the bathroom and stopped in her tracks. Sitting on her counter, right next to the mirror, was a piece of paper. The piece of paper was addressed to her. Written in neat curly handwriting. She opened up the letter and began to read:

Dear Lucy,

Hey it's Aya. So as you probably know by now… your clothes are gone. I will admit that is my doing. I decided to play a little prank on you. Please don't worry I will tell you where they are but bear with me for the time being.

I have noticed you seem very nervous whenever you're around me. I just want to tell you I mean you no harm. I know I can seem intimidating to those who don't know me. I'd like to be your friend, but I can also be patient for you to conquer your fear of me.

As this prank in concerned, I may have gotten a little help from your friends. The pink haired one (Natsu I think his name was) helped me to get into your place and told me where everything was. Granted I probably could've done that last part on my own. He also told me this was where you usually go after missions (only spending a few hours with him I can see why). So I decided to put this here, hoping you'd find it eventually.

Now then, your clothes. I won't tell you exactly where they are but I will give you the hint your friend gave me.

"Once a year the trees of the fairies live. In the darkness of night when the stars shine, is when they come to life."

Your friend actually hid you're clothes for me. So please if you can't find them come to me and I will help you. It was not my intention to cause you a great amount of trouble.

Happy Hunting

Anaya

* * *

At first Lucy was shocked, then outraged, then embarrassed. Mostly due to her teammates all to willingness to help someone break into her place.

She had figured out the riddle easily. Her clothes were in a chest at the base of the tallest sakura tree, the one Natsu had dug up to float down the river right next to her apartment. There was a small note on top of the chest in messy handwriting from the fire breather himself. "Cheer up Luce! You don't always have to go through everything alone. We're here for you!"

After that word quickly got around about Aya's trick. Soon more and more stories developed. People losing their keys, finding objects in their drinks, or even coming home to find that their house had been rearranged. All of which lead back to one person. Soon after that Aya had earned the title of Guild Prankster.

Lucy couldn't help but smile at the memory. The fact that Aya had seen right through her and then gone to the length of trying to make amends had pushed her to try to get over herself. If she was trying that hard to be her friend then she was worth the effort of getting rid of her fear.

Now that she thought about it, that day had been extremely stressful. One that had taken her out of bed at the break of dawn and hadn't let her back in until the middle of the night. Not to mention having to deal with a certain dragon slayer in the middle of it.

Lucy confronted the new member that next morning and now they were starting to make progress. Even though Lucy still couldn't seem to look in her eyes. Natsu had to ensure her that there was nothing to be afraid of until he as red in the face. Much to the amusement of both girls along with their teammates.

She couldn't seem to get him out of her head. She didn't even know he was worried about her until she saw his note. Even when he wasn't around he always managed to make her smile.

Lucy noticed a small fluttering feeling in her stomach at the thought of the dragon slayer's actions. It was truthfully, really sweet. Maybe she'd have to look into that side of him a little later. She grabbed her orange juice and spun around in her chair, sipping up the last of it's contents.

A loud crash followed by several shouts from the back of the guild drew Lucy away from her thoughts. _What was that?_

She hopped down from her stool and walked over to one of the tables near the bar where Natsu, Happy, Wendy and Carla were busy talking. She took a seat next to Wendy and the small girl smiled up at her. "Did any of you hear that just now?"

Natsu looked over at her, his face a mask of confusion, "Hear what Luce?" He turned to take a seat on the benches.

His shirt hung open as he sat, one arm resting up on the bench behind them. Lucy couldn't help it as her eyes made a quick once over of the man sitting in front of her. The way his tanned skin almost looked like baked bread. How the muscles on his arms flexed as he fidgeted to find a more comfortable position. Or the fact that his toned chest was totally visible for all to see slowly turning into strong abs that soon narrowed into his-

 _WOAH WOAH WOAH_

This was Natsu she was talking about. The most dimwitted and ignorant guy she had ever met. Maybe even the most innocent in some ways.

Lucy looked back up noticing that the table had gone quiet, all waiting for her to continue. Happy snickered and flew over to her, landing onto the railing slightly behind her head, "Lucy you're weird!"

She really had to get her mind out of the gutter, "I am not weird! I just got…lost in though for a minute."

The blue feline merely giggled again and hopped back over to where Natsu was sitting. The rest of the table had watching their exchange with very confused looks. _Oh great._

She let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. "Anyway, It just sounded like a loud crash towards the back of the guild. And I thought I heard someone shouting. It was probably just my imagination if you guys didn't hear anything though"

Natsu let out a boisterous laugh, "I bet it was Ice pick! He probably knocked something over in the back room."

"Aye!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at the two. They really were meant for each other, "C'mon guys Gray isn't that clumsy"

"Why am I clumsy?"

 _Speak of the devil._ Of course the man in question was walking over to their table. He stopped at the end near Happy and Carla, his hands tucked neatly in his pockets.

Natsu just had to open his mouth, "Because we were saying you'd knock something over in the back room!"

The ice mage went rigid, placing his booted foot on the table edge, "You wanna repeat that flame face?"

"Yea! The ice princess is gonna slip on his own ice!" Natsu stood to his feet a goofy smirk lighting up his face.

"At least I wouldn't burn the whole storage area!"

"You wanna go?!"

"Bring it Pyro!"

Lucy groaned and thumped her head against the table. So much for having a nice quiet morning, but what did she expect. This was considered normal around here. She turned her face towards Wendy who was giggling quietly as the two scuffled. Lucy felt herself smile as well.

Suddenly crashing, banging, and another series of shouts and curses came from the back of the guild. This time much louder than before. Lucy immediately sat back up and turned towards the others, "You guys heard that too, right?"

"Yes, I heard it. I wonder what it is." Wendy spoke up from the seat next to Lucy, her hands were placed on either side of her and she turned herself around again.

Lucy scowled in thought, "It kind of sounded like Erza."

Natsu and Gray both froze mid punch and paled. They turned towards the back of the guild, looked at each other, and scrambled to take a seat back at their table.

Gray had ended up beside Lucy, "Who the hell would make Erza mad?"

Lucy couldn't help the grimace she made at the thought of angering the red headed swordswoman. "Let's hope it's not too bad for the sake of whoever messed with her." The table murmured their agreement. They had all at least once been on the bad side of Fairy Tail's strongest female mage, and to say it was a bad experience was an understatement.

The doors to the back of the guild burst open and Lucy heard, rather than saw, someone crash into the first row of tables.

Shouts of the seated guild members rang out in their surprise. Most of them had gotten out of the way, but the ones who had failed to notice the earlier signs were now haphazardly scattered around their seating area. As the dust cleared, the flying mage stood to their feet. They coughed and began to pick sticks and other things out of their deep orange hair.

The only person that had that hair, and hadn't figured out the boundaries of the red head was… Aya.

Lucy refused to believe it. Aya couldn't have been idiotic enough to pull a prank on Erza. The appearance of the red head in the guild doorway confirmed her fear. She was dressed in her flight armor. That was unusual. Erza usually never needed to requip when she was delivering "punishment". That is unless…

Lucy gulped. What had Aya done to Erza?

"STAY STILL SO YOU CAN BE PUNISHED!" The red head roared, leaping over to where Aya was sitting. She requipped what looked like her Purgatory sword as she leapt. She swung the black blade down crashing it into the tables, scattering them ever further out into the guild.

Shouts and screams came from her guild mates as they ran for cover.

"No I really don't think I will."

Lucy whipped around. Aya was standing on one of the tables that had flown past her in Erza's rampage, her arms crossed over her chest. Her hood was back over her head and covered most of her features, but Lucy could make out the slightest hints of a smirk on her face.

This girl was nuts!

Erza let out a yell and dashed towards Aya yet again, her sword raised threateningly. Aya danced just out of reach of the swordswoman, only fueling her anger.

Lucy's mouth fell open in utter shock. Someone was besting Erza, and they weren't even fighting back. She turned to look at Natsu. He had to be at least thinking the same thing.

Her jaw only dropped a second time in the last thirty seconds.

Natsu was on his feet, pumping his fists in the air and cheering the two on, mostly Aya though. Lucy could understand that. Natsu had been beat around by the requip mage ever since he was little, so she guessed it would only be natural for him to want a little pay back. But she was also surprised he wasn't jumping in for himself. He usually didn't hold back for a chance at proving himself.

She had to admire that quality about him. He always had this will to fight no matter the consequences. No matter how tired he was. No matter how beat up he was. No matter if all the odds were stacked against him. He still fought for all of them.

And she had to admit, he'd saved her pretty butt more than once.

She couldn't help but smile at the dragon slayer. He was the best friend she'd ever had and she knew she could trust him with anything.

Natsu then turned around and looked at her. He starred at her for a few seconds then gave her a smile. His eyes narrowing as he showed her his canines. Lucy felt her heart skip a beat and heat flooded her cheeks.

 _What the hell?_

She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. What was with her lately? Her mind always seemed to stray towards Natsu within the past week and she couldn't put her finger on why.

"Hey, Luce you're missing it!" Natsu's voice cut into her thoughts and she turned her attention back to the center of the guild.

Tables, chairs and wood boards lay scattered around the floor. Most of them were broken or ripped to little pieces, but some were just merely thrown in all different directions. The scene made the hall look much more like a battle ground than a bar. And at the center of the chaos stood Aya and Erza.

Lucy could feel a bead of sweat drip down her forehead. Aya had done as much damage as Erza? And she wasn't even fighting yet? Or maybe this was all just Erza's doing. Lucy could remember the times the red head had gone on a rampage, but the damage was never as bad as this. Even when someone had knocked over her cake.

Aya really must've done something bad to make Erza this destructive.

The two stood silently facing each other. Erza had requipped back into her everyday armor and held a small sword in her hand. She still looked angry in Lucy's opinion.

On the other side Aya seemed very relaxed for someone just minutes ago was running for their life. One hand rested casually on her hip while the other hung at her side. She had taken off her hood earlier and the smirk she sported was now visible.

"Have you calmed down yet?" Aya spoke jokingly, like this was something that happened every day. Lucy noticed she had yet to draw one of the swords on her back.

Erza scowled and raised her sword to her waist, "Why are you not fighting me seriously?"

"Fight you seriously? That was you fighting seriously?" Aya let out a laugh and raised her arms above her head in a stretch. "I have to say I'm disappointed. I expected more from the famous Titania."

Lucy could see Erza go rigid, either from the comment about her fighting seriously or the fact that she knew of Titania. Aya continued before she could think further on it, "If you really want to know, I won't fight you. Not seriously anyway."

Erza raised her sword and lunged at Aya, "Tell me why!"

Aya easily dodged to the side and knocked the red head on the back with a hand, making her stumble before turning around. "You're stamina and magic are superb, I'll give you that. But your sword skill is…"

She paused in thought and dodged around another one of the red head's attacks. "Shall we say, adequate? No, that's not quite it. It's less than that."

After the many definite blows to her pride, Erza's temper had risen to all new heights. Lucy could see the rage burning in her eyes as the swordswoman readjusted her sword. She had never seen Erza this mad before, not even when Phantom Lord had attacked Team Shadow Gear and kidnapped she herself. An experience she would not forget for a long time.

Lucy could feel her hands start to tremble and she couldn't help but think about Natsu. Had he ever seen her this way before? He had his history with the red head, he never liked to talk about their childhood to anyone. Not even the people who were part of it.

She turned her head up to look at the pinkette. Said boy looked as if he had been turned to stone. His arms had fallen to his sides while his eyes were fixed on the match before them. She could almost feel the fear radiating off him. Without thinking, she reached out her hand and wrapped her fingers lightly around his.

She felt Natsu stiffen at the sudden contact and he turned to face her. His eyes now shown with surprise and the slightest hint of confusion. That was better. Fear didn't suit him at all she decided. Anything would be better than to see his features twisted in fear. That just wasn't like Natsu.

Lucy smiled softly and gave his hand a small squeeze. This was just Erza being Erza. Granted, in an extremely disastrous way, but still the same. She would never push it so far that she would hurt the rest of them.

She could see Natsu's face relax considerably. He seemed to come to the same realization she had and he gave her a smile in return. His hand tightened around hers for the briefest of seconds and then the contact was lost as he turned back to watch the match.

Lucy blinked as her hand fell back into her lap. For some odd reason it felt cold. Like it had missed his hand holding hers.

She shook her head and rubbed her hands together subconsciously. That couldn't be right. She probably just felt cold because of the overheated man on the other side of the table. He did always have this way of making a room much hotter.

A loud, metallic clang drew her attention back to the match. It was one of those sounds that made the back of her eyes hurt. Lucy figured Aya must've finally taken out one of her swords. But as she looked over at the two, that wasn't quite the case.

They stood not two feet apart facing each other. Erza was stopped in a position about mid swing with her sword just in front of her face. Aya, on the other hand, was not holding a weapon. She stood with her left hand raised above her head, effectively blocking the path of Erza's sword. The edge of the blade rested snugly in the palm of Aya's hand.

 _Ok, this girl is officially insane!_ Lucy thought to herself.

Now that they had stopped, something looked off about Aya's hand. Lucy already knew the only skin actually showing under the sleeves she always wore had a silvery shine. As she looked closer she noticed that it was reflecting the light from Erza's blade. Was it… metal? How could she not have noticed that before?

Aya's face fell and she took a step closer to Erza, her arm still raised high. Her demeanor had completely changed from her joking face earlier and it made a shudder pass down Lucy's spine.

Aya finally broke the deafening silence, "Your sword skill is lacking greatly compared to your magic. You attack when you should block. You leave your torso defenseless when you lunge and try to make up for it with what little speed you have."

The entire guild fell silent and Lucy could hear her heart beat in her ears. How did she get all that in a matter of minutes? Aya had only been in the guild for a couple of weeks so no one knew a lot about her. But now with this, Lucy wasn't sure she knew anything about the sunset haired prankster.

She felt that all too familiar fear creep its way up her spine. It was like the first day she met her all over again.

Aya pushed at the blade in her hand, making Erza take a step back. She straightened and crossed her arms over her chest before continuing, "You rely heavily on your magic and pure strength. What will you do when someone is faster than you? Or stronger than you? Or even both?… What if you have to fight someone without your magic? At your current sword level now you wouldn't last more than a few minutes."

Erza was silent, her eyes were narrowed like she was trying to process the information just given to her. "Is that why you won't fight me?"

"No, that is not why I won't fight you. It's just part of the reason." Aya sighed heavily and ran a hand over her face, "But I know you're not going to stop asking until I tell you so I might as well get this over with."

Aya squared her shoulders and dropped her arms to her sides, looking Erza square in the face. The red head didn't flinch at her expression, instead she tightened her hold on her sword. Aya started, "If I were to fight you as you are now, I could kill you. I don't want any more innocent blood on my conscience. Do you understand?" She rested a hand on her hip and watched the person across from her. When there was no answer, Aya finally let out a sigh and began again, "You're a fine warrior and a skilled ma-"

"Prove it."

Both women were quiet for a long time after that. Erza's face was tilted towards the ground and her sword had fallen, so that its tip rested on the floor. She looked entirely and utterly defeated. Lucy felt her breath catch in her throat. This couldn't be right. Erza would never give up.

Aya finally broke the silence and raised a brow at the red head, "Excuse me?"

Erza's head snapped up at her opponent, "I SAID PROVE IT!" Her declaration resonated clearly through the guild. "I will not be defeated so easily with just some harsh words! I am a wizard of Fairy Tail. I will not back away without a fight, so bring your worst!"

The guild erupted into cheers. Shouts of encouragement and whistles aimed at the red head.

"YEA, YOU TELL HER ERZA!"

"NO ONE MESSES WITH FAIRY TAIL!"

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT OUR GUILD!?"

"BRING IT ON!"

Aya remained silent throughout the barrage of insults with her arms at her sides. She simply swept her gaze around the faces that surrounded her. Inspecting each one in turn.

Lucy had joined in with the shouts and cheers of her comrades. There was no one that could bring Fairy Tail down, even if they tried they'd be brought to their knees. She clenched her fists in front of her chest and looked at her friends around her. They were her family and she loved them with all her heart. She turned back to the center of the guild, another shout of encouragement already bubbling up her throat. But she never got to say it.

Aya stood with her hand on her face, her metal one attached to her hip, as her laugh rang out strong and clear.

Lucy blinked. She closed her eyes and wrapped her hands around the wooden bench. The unconditional rage that had erupted under her skin wasn't something she had thought herself capable of in this situation. This wasn't a life or death situation. There wasn't any immediate danger. So, why was she reacting like this? The feeling of needing to just punch something, or someone, bubbled to the front of her mind.

 _Now I'm just like Natsu._ She thought bitterly as she opened her eyes.

Her gaze came to rest on the man standing only a few feet across from her. His eyes were set in a hard line across his face as he watched not the match, but her. He seemed to be trying to read her mind in a way. Like if he starred hard enough everything would make sense. But the world doesn't work like that.

Lucy huffed angrily and turned away from the dragon slayer, not bothering to console him. She caught the quick flash of confusion and hurt that passed across his eyes as she turned. Her chest seemed to contract at the expression but she didn't turn around. Instead keeping her gaze focused on the match.

Aya's laughter had stopped but her face was still lit up with a menacing smile, "As you wish Erza." She slowly walked towards the red head, reaching behind her to grab one of the swords attached to her back. Her hand wrapped around the red hilt, the blade scraping against its sheath as she pulled, "I will not be using magic, as I want to see your sword skill alone. If you have any that is."

Her voice was laced with arrogance as she drew her sword. The blade's edge was a bright crimson, almost the color of her opponent's hair. It looked like it was dripping with the remains of those who had fallen. The edge glowed menacingly, as if it anticipated the glory of its next victim.

Aya took a fighting stance, flipping her sword around so that it faced the opposite direction of her hand. She raised her sword in front of her face and bent her knees. The edge of the blade reflecting against her features.

"Show me what you're made of."


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright guys I have got so much shit for you this time!**

 **I've been working so hard to write this chapter and revise the previous ones. So if you haven't read the new versions of the first two chapters I really recommend you do that before you read this one or else you might be confused.**

 **Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima (or course)**

 **Please review! It may be a while before I get the next one up since I start college in a week :D**

* * *

Chapter 3 - Tension

 _Lucy wrung her hands in her shirt as she watched. The look on her face. The way she moved. It was wrong. It was all wrong. There was something here that Aya wasn't letting on to them and Lucy couldn't take her eyes off the scene._

* * *

She had just finished her sentence when both women launched off the ground. They crashed together mid-flight, their swords clashing together with a metallic clang.

Aya was the first to get the upper hand over her opponent. Using the broad side of her sword she pushed Erza's blade down towards her own face. The red head had no choice but to back away and try to find a new approach.

"Concentrate Erza. I don't want this battle to end just yet." Aya commented with a smirk, landing lightly on the wood below her. Lucy couldn't help the uneasy feeling settling in her gut. Aya seemed to be giving the red head advice. Though the way she was going about it only contradicted herself.

The blonde let out the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding in. This new girl was confusing the hell out of her and it was starting to make her head hurt thinking about it. She couldn't help but smile, this must be what Natsu felt like all the times she and Levy were trying to crack mind puzzles.

Turning her attention back to the matter at hand, the fight between the two was still going on full force. With the majority of the battle now centered in the middle of the guild, everyone could see as the two sword wielders danced around each other. They traded blow for blow, sending sparks flying every which way.

At a pause in their battle, Erza took a chance and thrust her sword forwards.

Aya's eye widened slightly as the tip of Erza's blade caught a lip on her sword, unbalancing it from her hand. Before she could react, Erza twisted her blade and detached the sword from Aya's grip. The red head tossed it up and threw it behind her, planning to get the weapon as far away from Aya as she could.

The sword landed with a soft _thunk_ at the back of the guild.

The guild burst into cheers as Erza turned back to her opponent. A triumphant grin spreading across her face, "It looks like this battle is over."

Aya clapped her hands at the red head. "Very nice Erza. You surprised me there with that little trick of yours." The dull sound echoed menacingly around the building. The look on her face suggesting she knew much more about this match then she was letting on. "But I must disagree. This fight is far from over, it is really only the beginning."

Lucy felt unease spread over her again. Aya had another sword still sheathed across her back, but since she had lost hers had made no move to get it. And that look on her face made Lucy think she had wanted this to happen.

She felt someone take her trembling hand. She hadn't noticed it was trembling until now, this worry and unease was really starting to get the best of her. Her head snapped towards the source of the new contact, only to see a striking pink head of hair.

The dragon boy's eyes flickered with concern, "Ya okay Luce?"

She softened just seeing the emotion in his eyes. He always seemed to pull her from whatever stupor she seemed to be in that day. "I-I'm alright. You don't have to worry about me, Natsu." She cursed herself at her inability to keep her voice steady, this really wasn't like her. Guess this match was getting to her after all.

Natsu didn't say anything and continued to stare at her, like he thought she wasn't telling him the truth. She forced a smile, hoping at least a little something would put his mind at ease. He continued to stare for a few moments, then turned his attention back towards the match.

Lucy noticed he hadn't let go of her hand. Slowly, she slipped her hand from his grasp, pausing ever so slightly when his fingers tightened around hers before letting go.

She felt like her nerves were shot. Now not just her hands, but it felt like her entire body was shaking. Like she was riding in a cart that was traveling on some old country road. It felt as if everything had gone into slow motion and then sped up into fast forward, over and over and over again. It was all starting to make her vision spin, she tried to focus her attention back on the match hoping it would at least help.

When she turned her unsteady gaze back to the center of the guild, she noticed Aya was staring at her. Her one eye narrowed at the blonde. Though her body still faced Erza her full attention was on Lucy.

 _She can't tell what I'm feeling right? It can't be that obvious could it?!_ Lucy thought in a panic. The emotionless blue orb seemed to bore into her chest as she stared. Lucy felt her head spin again, on the verge of passing out. She couldn't let anyone see her like this. If they did they would all just start to worry, and she couldn't have that. She loved that her friends cared, but seeing their worried faces pointed at her always felt like someone had driven a knife through her heart.

Determined to not let them see her in this state, Lucy conjured up the best scowl she could muster and aimed it at her current opponent. She was rewarded for her efforts by the new member's look of pure confusion.

The red head cleared her throat to regain her opponent's attention, and everyone else's for that matter. Aya quickly snapped her head back towards Erza, blinking a few times as if trying to remember what she was doing.

Aya laughed slightly and scratched the back of her head sheepishly, "My apologies. I thought I saw something just a minute ago." Her gaze flicked back over to Lucy before continuing, "But it seems it was nothing."

She rose her arms above her head in a stretch and took a few steps back into the center of the guild again. "Well, shall we continue, Erza?"

The red head's eyes widened considerably. It was hard to pin point what either fighter was thinking, but their expressions were definitely entertaining. Erza shook herself out of her stupor and cleared her throat, "How do you plan to fight? I've disarmed you, and I see you have no intention of grabbing the other weapon you have. The way I see it, this battle is over."

Aya chuckled and placed her hands on her hips, "Don't you worry about me. I have a couple tricks up my sleeve for these kinds of things."

Erza looked like she was about to object again when Aya interrupted her, "Just continue the match, I know what I'm doing. And this could be a good opportunity for me to judge your skills anyway." She smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and rose her arms into a fighting pose.

The red head hesitated for a couple seconds, then raised her sword to her hip adjusting her feet to accommodate the new position, "Suit yourself."

Erza kicked off the ground sending her high into the air. Her sword gleamed as she raised it above her head. With a battle cry that could be heard all around the small city, she came down. And she came down hard. But just as it seemed she hit her target. She jumped back.

Or… at least it looked that way.

The red head was doubled over, gasping for breath with one hand on her throat. She coughed a couple times. Sucked in a few lungful's of air. Coughed a few more times. Then stood back up. Her breath wheezed in and out of her throat as she stood, and when she removed her hand from her neck the skin was marked with a bright red circle. Almost like someone had hit her with an oversized ball.

"What did you just do?" Erza croaked. Her demeanor wavered as she raised her sword yet again. She pulled her hand up so that it hovered near her chest.

Aya sighed and rubbed a hand over her face, "My apologies. I hadn't expected you to come at me that fast. Kudos for that by the way. Your speed is more advanced than I originally thought."

Erza's stance faltered for a split second at the sudden… apology? Lucy shook her head. The girl that had decided to wreck havoc with the fiercest warrior in the guild just _apologized_? This fight was just getting weirder and weirder the longer she had to watch.

Not to mention the fact that she had sprouted a throbbing headache in the process

The red head recomposed herself and adjusted her stance, "Let's just get on with it. I want to end this already."

Aya blinked, seemingly taken aback by the red head's tone. But, instead of firing a comeback she chuckled and took up her fighting stance again.

Both mages launched off the ground for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. They clashed together trading blow for blow. Ezra swung and ducked and kicked, while Aya leapt and blocked and countered with her own flare.

The tables had erupted into cheers again. Guild members shouting this and that about 'this strike would've worked better!', and 'why would you put your foot there?!', and more along the lines of 'who are we even cheering for?'. It was hard to tell which fighter each table had chosen, some were proud and true cheering their heads off for the requip mage. While others had actually resorted to supporting the new comer.

Lucy couldn't help but smile as she watched her guild mates and family have a fun time. Even though all this noise was really starting to make her headache worse.

Ezra swung her sword around into a new position and lunged forwards, aiming for the newbie's left shoulder. She wasn't as skilled a swordsman as those two, but Lucy knew Aya would have to move or she'd be done for.

Aya, however, had other plans.

She side-stepped onto the other side of the sword so that she was now on the inside of the oncoming attack. In one quick motion, she reached her arm out and stepped forwards, running a silvery hand along the blade. Before the red head could even react, she had pulled her forwards and driven her right elbow into the side of the swordwomans head.

Ezra staggered back from the blow, shaking her head to try to regain her bearings.

Taking opportunity while her opponent was down, Aya ran towards her again. Just as she was about to run into her enemy, Aya raised one leg and pushed off the ground with the other. Effectively flipping over the red head.

As she came over she planted one foot into the armor on Erza's back, propelling herself up and away towards the back of the hall. She landed effortlessly right next to her opponents used to be advantage, her sword stuck blade first into the wood boards.

Reaching her hand out she clasped the crimson hilt and yanked. The blade detached from it's hold with a quiet _pop_ , small wood pieces following in its wake.

Aya lifted the blade up so that the crimson edge was facing her face, her eyes looked over the blade for a few seconds before they flicked back to Erza. She scoffed ever so slightly, "There actually isn't a scratch on it. Not that I'm surprised, but I had figured you at least marked it up a bit when you threw it over here."

Erza was speechless. The fact that someone had seen the weakness through her attack, let alone the fact that they had acted and countered, impressed and boggled her mind to no end.

Her opponent raised a brow, "Not the reaction I was expecting."

The fact that Erza was at a loss for words did not mean the people around her were. Each table was murmuring to themselves on what had just happened. Lucy still couldn't believe that Aya had actually made Erza look like, well, a fool. She had gone around her attack that seemed impossible to dodge and bested their strongest female mage in only a matter of seconds. The more Lucy thought on it the more it wasn't making any sense. Aya had told them earlier that she was an "assassin" but not really one. That they were used as just a scare tactic for their village.

Now as Lucy watched her fight, she seemed extremely confident in what she was doing. She knew what her opponent was going to do and counter before even her opponent knew what they were going to do. None of this made any sense. If what she told them earlier was true then she should've been beaten by Erza long ago.

It just didn't add up.

"Anyway…" said person took a few steps towards the center of their makeshift arena, almost dragging the tip of her blade along the floor boards. "Because I agree with you, this fight should be over with. Let's try a little something that will… speed things up a bit."

She raised the sword above her head, casually resting the crimson edge across her shoulders. Her right hand held onto the hilt while her metal one rested across the blade, tracing circles into its face. "I have been going easy on you so far. So to step up the ante we'll try something my master used on me."

Erza righted herself and adjusted her grip on her sword, "I'm ready for whatever you can hit me with"

A sly smile crossed over the other's face, "Good."

She whipped her sword around her shoulders and stuck the tip into the ground. She leaned down to rest her arm on top of the hilt, "Here's how this will work. I want you to hit me with your sword once before I can hit you with mine three times. If you accomplish this task, you will win."

Erza narrowed her eyes, "And what if I can't hit you before my time is up?"

Aya let out a chuckle and picked herself up. Her eyes shown with something the mages hadn't seen in a while. Something that was never good.

Lucy wrung her hands in her shirt as she watched. The look on her face. The way she moved. It was wrong. It was all wrong. There was something here that Aya wasn't letting on to them and Lucy couldn't take her eyes off the scene.

Aya raised her arm so that her sword ripped from its hold in the wood. The tip of her blade pointed straight at the center of her opponents face. Her features slackened and her eyes hardened. Her voice was strong and clear as she spoke, as if she carried the souls she had taken with her.

"Erza Scarlet, If you fail to complete this task you will resign from the art of swordsmanship. You will never pick up a sword again. You will be a disgrace in this sacred art of combat, never to fight again."

Erza stood rigid in her place. Her eyes wide in shock and horror. It she couldn't complete this she would never use a sword again. If she failed she could never fight again. If she failed she could no longer be a mage. Lucy couldn't believe this was happening. For her to propose something like that was not only outrageous, it was downright insane. She knew that the situation was starting to get out of hand a few minutes ago. Now this fight had turned dire. If Erza couldn't complete this it would ruin her. Being a mage meant everything.

Aya remained where she stood her sword still raised, "Erza, I must warn you. If you accept this challenge there is no going back. You may back down now but there will still be consequences. The only way to go on as you are is to accept."

Erza let out a breath, turning her face towards the ground. Her hair fell from its position on her shoulder. It was almost acting as a curtain to shield her from view. So that she could hide from what she was thinking, or what she looked like she was considering.

She raised her sword up and turned it over in her hand. The blade shown in the late afternoon light. She tighten her grip on the handle and straightened herself. All trace of uncertainty gone. Her face was set in determination as she raised her sword. The broad side of her blade just brushed against Aya's as she rested it into place.

"I accept."

Without another word both fighters turned, walking to opposite ends of the hall. A chorus of shouts followed them as they stopped and turned to face each other. Only falling on deaf ears. They were in their own little world now and no one could bring them out of it.

Aya closed her eyes and raised her sword, "Erza there is something I must tell you." When the red head didn't answer ,she continued, "The stakes have been raised so I expect you to give it your all. But be warned, the use of magic in this battle will be equivalent to forfeiting. For me as well."

The requip mage steadied her hands, composing herself for the match, "I understand."

Aya nodded and reached behind her pulling a small orb from her pocket. She held it up for her opponent to see. It was small and could fit in the center of her palm, "This is a time keeper. When I activate it, it will count down ten seconds. After it disappears the match will begin."

Erza watched her as she took the object in her hand. She bent down and blew on the orb. After a few seconds the ball began to glow, its light gradually gaining strength. Before it reached its peek, Aya bent down and rolled it into the center of the floor.

It immediately burst into color. A bright "10" illuminated the boards it rested on.

Then it began to count down. Nine.

Aya raised her voice to get her opponents attention, "As is customary in this battle I will not hold back."

Eight. Seven.

She opened her eyes flipping her sword around, "Should that mean I use my other weapon then so be it. But I will not unless I see the need to."

Six. Five. Four.

Erza closed her eyes and took a breath. She had to focus if she wanted to win this.

Aya spoke again, "Oh and Erza, one more thing."

Three. Two.

"I will be using my full strength. So if I get the chance, I will kill you"

One.

The last number fizzed into the floor. A second later the ground exploded with dust. Cutting off all visibility of both mages and trapping them in a cloud of dirt and shattered pieces.

Lucy let out a yell of surprise and shot her arms up to cover her face. The dust swarmed them from all sides. She coughed, feeling the burning sensation as dust filled her mouth and nose. How could either of them see what they were doing in these conditions? Her eyes began to water as she raised her hands to try to see through the cloud.

The space suddenly exploded yet again. Lucy shut her eyes tight and curled in on herself so that she wouldn't be caught in another onslaught of wind. Then with a loud crash everything stopped.

Lucy looked up and her eyes widened. Aya shot across the space just in front of her, her sword at the ready as she collided with her opponent. Erza just managed to raise her sword to counter the blow before she was blown back. She crashed against the floorboards splintering the wood in all different directions. Using her palm as a pivot point, she flipped over and landed back on her feet.

The red head then took off. She kicked the ground and ran as hard as she could towards her opponent, sword at the ready. Both wielders clashed together in a flurry of light and metal. Sparks sprung from the impact, dancing around them as each fought for dominance.

Erza pushed against her sword loosening it from its battle. She brought it down and dropped to her knees, swinging her blade just above the floor.

Before her sword could connect with its target, Aya leapt up and out of the way. In one swift motion Aya flipped her body over the red head and sword in her hand. As she flipped in the air she arched her blade down. Erza had mere seconds before the hilt collided with the side of her head. The blow carried her off her feet and sent her careening into a nearby pillar.

Erza collapsed to the floor gasping for air. Having the wind knocked out of her would take its tole. Bright blood poured down her face and splattered onto her armor. The liquid slowly slid down the metal, covering the gold cross in an erie red ooze. She used her hand to try to wipe it away but to no avail. It continued to flow down the side of her face and eye, covering the swordswoman in the color she was so well known for.

"That is strike one Erza." Aya hung her sword steadily at her side.

Erza continued to wheeze as she pressed her hand to her head to stop the bleeding. Lucy felt her hand whip around to her keys, ready to call out Loke if things started to turn. She stiffened when the red head's gaze landed on her. She just noticed the subtle shake of her head and the glance at her keys.

Aya's face contorted as she watched her opponent try to regain her breath. She too had noticed the brief exchange between teammates. Her jaw hardened, "Get up," she nearly growled. She raised her sword in emphasis of her words, again taking her stance.

Erza gave a shuddering breath and a final cough before she made her way to her feet. Despite the pain she suffered, she stood straight and proud. With blows both to her pride and her well being, she lifted her head high in the face of this obstacle. Even the chance of death would not let her back down now.

She raised her sword above her head, the blade pointing straight at the ceiling, "My comrades listen to what I have to say."

The members grew steadily quiet, the few occasional whispers breaking out over this new development in todays activities. They leaned forwards in their seats, rolled onto the balls of their feet, fixing each and every gaze in anticipation of what was to come.

"Do not come to my aid," she spoke calmly. Erza wiped the blood from her forehead with the back of her hand, "This is my battle, and it is one that I must fight alone." Her gaze swept across her gathered guild mates. Finding each face in the crowd. Quelling the minds ready to jump in. Lingering on those she cherished.

Lucy felt her chest tighten. She had to clench her fists at her sides to keep from grabbing at her keys. She knew that even with one touch, they would know what she was feeling and come to help. This was Erza's request. So she had to keep her word, as the rest of them did, and not interfere.

The sudden tension in the air was almost suffocating as they waited with bated breath. Waiting for one of them to make a move.

Erza was the first to break her stance. She flipped her sword around in her hand and leapt across the space, raising her weapon to her opponents face. Their blades connected for a second before they broke apart again, repeating the action. The two only stayed apart for mere seconds in between each and every clash of their swords. Sweat just visible on their faces as they leapt, swung and attacked.

Lucy found her hands clenched around the bench she was sitting at. Now that she could only watch in fascination and horror as her friend not only fought for her honor as a swordsman, but also for her life.

The red head swung her blade around to her opponents side. She almost connected with her ribcage when her swing hit metal. Aya's blade was covering the long portion of her torso just blocking it from her opponent's swing. Just mere inches from the scar that marked her side. From where she sat, Lucy was about ready to explode. Erza was so close! If her path wasn't blocked she could've ended the match right then and there. It seemed Erza knew this too for she tilted her head to look up at her opponent.

The red head went rigid at the look her opponent cast over her. Something in her eyes had snapped. Her opponent was almost animalistic in the way she looked down on her. The way her jaw had hardened so that she bared her teeth in a snarl. She rammed her leg into the front of Erza's armor. Quickly following by swinging the sharp end of her sword into her opponent's side.

Erza again crashed into a nearby wall. She only had a few seconds to jump out of the way before Aya slashed her sword through the wood she fell into. A deep gash ripped its way down the boards.

She was really going to kill Erza.

Erza scrambled to her feet as Aya came at her again. Her strikes harder, faster, more powerful than the ones she had used on her before. Erza just barely managed to keep up with the onslaught of attacks. One arm clutched at her side as she defended herself.

Aya swung her sword down in front of her opponent. Erza leapt back to get out of the way of the blow. As she landed her feet slipped out from under her causing her to stumbled into the back wall. Leaning heavily on the wood.

Her breaths came in strained pants as she tried to lift her sword. Each time her hand pressed into her side as if she was in pain. She finally let both arms fall. Her metal coated hands clattering against the wood.

Lucy sucked in a breath at the state her friend was in. Blood still seeped through the gash on her head and ran down her face. It continued its trail down her armor to where it finally fell off to a small puddle on the floor. The side she had been holding was also in bad shape. The armor was bent heavily into her side and a small trickle of blood was flowing out from under it onto her skirt. She heaved breaths to try and stay up right. Lucy knew her ribs must be broken by how much she was struggling.

Aya let out a breath and raised her sword up to her eyes. She leveled the sword so that it was pointed straight at her opponent, "Strike three."

Lucy jumped up from her seat as Aya took off. Her hand immediately going to her keys. She didn't care at this point, Erza wasn't going to die. Erza couldn't die. She unhooked the gold carving of the lion from her belt. Before she could use it two strong arms grabbed her, pinning her hands behind her back. She struggled, only provoking them to hold on tighter. If she couldn't call out Loke it would be over. Why wasn't anyone stepping up to help?!

Aya took one final step and brought her sword down. Blood splattered across the floor. She felt as if someone was ripping her heart out of her chest. Everything grew muffled, her single scream the only thing to be heard in the late afternoon sun.


End file.
